Top esports organizations of 2024

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Esports organizations are among the most influential forces in the industry, with the biggest names consistently driving trends across multiple top games. Over the past year, these powerhouse clubs achieved remarkable growth in viewership. One leading organization, for example, reported an impressive 48% surge in audience numbers. Others in the rankings also made significant strides, whether by securing high-profile player signings or by elevating their competitive results in tournaments.

The Esports World Cup, a landmark multi-game event held in Saudi Arabia, played a pivotal role in shaking up the rankings. This high-profile competition encouraged top organizations to expand by offering financial rewards for signing new rosters and entering new game titles. Among the featured games, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) emerged as the most influential. Several prominent esports clubs added leading teams from the game to their rosters, greatly boosting their presence and audience reach across Southeast Asia.

The expansion into new games has brought a sharp increase in activity for some esports organizations. Last year, no club managed to field more than 15 active rosters, but this year, two clubs surpassed 20 teams each. Likewise, while no organization had previously reached the milestone of 1,000 matches in a single year, Team Liquid shattered expectations by coming within striking distance of an astounding 1,500 matches.

Top Esports Organizations 2024: Most-Watched & Best Teams

#10 — Natus Vincere (NAVI)

Ukraine’s most iconic esports organization and one of Eastern Europe’s powerhouses, Natus Vincere (NAVI), has reclaimed its spot in the global top 10 after a year-long hiatus. While the organization boasts rosters across several premier titles, their Counter-Strike division once again stole the spotlight with a series of exceptional achievements.

The core of Natus Vincere’s CS2 lineup solidified last summer, but 2024 was the year the team truly shone. The highlight of Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj’s work with the revamped roster came when they captured the championship at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. However, this achievement was not a fluke as NAVI’s dominance continued: they secured victories at the Esports World Cup, ESL Pro League Season 20, and IEM Rio 2024, cementing their place among the elite.

Meanwhile, the organization’s other rosters contributed roughly 20% of NAVI’s total viewership in 2024. The Dota 2 and Valorant squads drew the most attention, but their results left fans wanting more. The Dota 2 team couldn’t climb higher than fourth place at million-dollar tournaments, while the Valorant roster struggled to qualify for international events, finishing 5th-6th in both splits of the EMEA League.

Read also: Top 5 Most-Watched Counter-Strike Teams of 2024

#9 — Bilibili Gaming

China’s lone representative in the rankings, Bilibili Gaming, made an impressive leap to ninth place in 2024. After finishing outside the top 20 the previous year, the team turned things around dramatically, driven by their stellar achievements in League of Legends.

Bilibili’s LoL roster has remained mostly unchanged since late 2022, a testament to the organization’s belief in its players. Smart, targeted roster adjustments proved decisive, with mid laner Zhuo "knight" Ding standing out as a game-changing addition, helping them secure victory in the LPL Summer Split.

In 2024, Bilibili Gaming dominated the LPL, winning both splits, and claimed second place at the Mid-Season Invitational. However, their defining moment came at Worlds 2024, where they clawed their way into the playoffs and delivered a phenomenal run. They eliminated Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports and then triumphed over their domestic rivals, Weibo Gaming. Only Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok’s T1 managed to stop them, and even then, Bilibili was just one game away from capturing the year’s ultimate prize.

Outside of League of Legends, Bilibili Gaming also competes in other premier esports titles, including Valorant. In 2024, they joined the newly established China League, finishing fourth in the Summer Split and earning a spot at Valorant Champions 2024. Unfortunately, their run at the tournament ended in the group stage, as they failed to reach the playoffs.

#8 — Team Falcons

Team Falcons were one of the standout stories of 2024, making headlines with a series of high-profile roster acquisitions. The club now boasts the largest number of active rosters across multiple games, surpassing 20, which is a remarkable feat. While the Falcons found success in several titles, the Saudi Arabia-based organization’s primary focus was on Dota 2.

Although they fell short of claiming the ultimate prize at The International, finishing in fourth place, the season was still dominated by Wu "Sneyking" Jingjun’s roster. The team delivered a phenomenal performance, winning an impressive array of tier-S tournaments and only dropping below third place in events held toward the year’s end. Their success translated into over $3.3 million in prize earnings, and mid laner Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak was honored as the Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year at the Esports Awards 2024.

While the Falcons’ Counter-Strike venture wasn’t as successful, it was certainly one of the year’s most notable stories. The team’s best result came with a 3rd-4th place finish at IEM Katowice 2024, but the biggest news was the temporary loan of Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev, a legendary figure in Counter-Strike, from NAVI. While he didn’t lead the team to victory, his presence gave a significant boost to their audience at the tournaments he played in.

Looking forward to 2025, the team is turning a new page: in early January, they signed a trio from Heroic and completed one of the year’s most high-profile transfers, adding Nikola "NiKo" Kovač from G2 Esports to their roster.

Other Falcons teams also saw impressive viewership stats, with eight squads surpassing one million hours of watch time. But it was their Overwatch team that truly stood out with the powerful entrance into the game’s new esports ecosystem. Signed in February 2024, the Korean roster had a phenomenal season, dominating both splits in Korea, securing second place at the OWCS 2024 Major, and capturing the ultimate prize, the OWCS 2024 World Finals title.

#7 — Team Spirit

Next up, the powerhouses that earned over 100 million hours of live viewership for esports matches. The most popular organization in Eastern Europe was Team Spirit, which was originally founded in Russia and is now based in Serbia. Known primarily for its CS and Dota rosters, these teams were almost equally responsible for driving the majority of the club’s viewership.

The top performer in both viewership and titles was the Counter-Strike squad, which impressed everyone with their dominant win at IEM Katowice 2024. The team’s undisputed star was Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, who’s firmly in the running for Player of the Year. His stellar performances played a huge part in the team’s success, helping them reach the playoffs at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and claim podium finishes at BLAST and BetBoom Dacha events.

But the team’s biggest triumph (and one of the main reasons they earned a spot in the top 10) was their victory at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, where they triumphed over FaZe Clan in a thrilling final. With this win, Team Spirit became the second team from Eastern Europe, after NAVI, to claim the top trophies in both of Valve’s flagship titles: Counter-Strike and Dota 2.

The club’s Dota roster had a solid season, but it didn’t quite match the success they enjoyed in the early 2020s. Their only big title was a win at PGL Wallachia Season 1, though they consistently placed in the top 4, with very few finishes outside the top 10.

A special mention should go to Team Spirit in MLBB. The team achieved remarkable success at the M6 World Championship, the year’s premier tournament, finishing in fourth place. Given the overwhelming dominance of Southeast Asian teams in the game, this is a major accomplishment for a team with European players.

#6 — Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ)

Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) is perhaps the only top organization in the ranking that didn’t achieve any major milestones last season, aside from a second-place finish at MPL Indonesia Season 14. Despite some inconsistent results, the organization continues to dominate in terms of live audience viewership in all of MLBB.

While they didn’t claim any titles, RRQ performed slightly better than the previous year. Their second-place finish in the summer season of MPL Indonesia earned them a spot at M6, where they made it to the playoffs but were ultimately knocked out by Selangor Red Giants.

Beyond the main roster, RRQ also has popular women’s and youth teams (the latter notably taking prize spots at the Mobile Legends Development League, or MDL), which together contributed significantly to the club’s viewership. Similarly, the Valorant roster made a comparable impact, despite failing to qualify for any international tournaments during the VCT season.

Read also: Top 10 Most-Watched Esports Teams of 2024

#5 — Fnatic

Fnatic, one of the oldest esports organizations in both Europe and the world, climbed into the top 5 this year. The main factor driving this success was their timely expansion into Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, where they formed a season-long partnership with one of the game’s top сlubs, ONIC Esports.

In the past, the main drivers of viewership for the club were the teams in League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Valorant. But everything shifted in 2024: the Philippine and Indonesian MLBB teams made up more than half of the total viewership, despite only being signed in late May.

The Indonesian team had a strong season, winning MPL Indonesia Season 13, but the true stars were the Philippine roster. Not only did they win MPL Philippines Season 14, but they also claimed the year’s biggest title, the M6 World Championship.

Fnatic also had solid, though not extraordinary, seasons in other games. In League of Legends, they finished second twice in the LEC regular season splits and competed in both international events. In Valorant, they were unquestionably the best team in EMEA, winning both splits, but failed to place higher than 5th or 6th at international events. As for Counter-Strike, the team is still finding its rhythm; this year, they only secured a few online championships.

#4 — Gen.G Esports

The top four is opened by Gen.G Esports, a dominant force from Korea that excels in Riot Games' titles, League of Legends and Valorant. While the team had impressive seasons in both games, they fell short of clinching the major titles of the year.

In Valorant, Gen.G dominated the Asia-Pacific region, securing their position as the strongest team with ease. They claimed the season’s opening event (Pacific Kickoff), finished 1st-2nd in the regular season standings, and made it to the finals twice at Masters tournaments with a victory at Masters Shanghai. However, they stumbled at the World Championship, where they couldn’t make it out of the “group of death,” falling short against Sentinels in a decisive match for a playoff spot.

In League of Legends, Gen.G continued to dominate the LCK, Korea’s premier league, taking the spring split title and following it up with a solid win at MSI, where they avenged their loss to Bilibili Gaming in the previous World Championship playoffs. The team also secured second place in the summer split, but their Worlds run ended in disappointment once again. Their long-time rivals, T1, stopped them from reaching the final, with T1 eventually claiming the championship.

Among the club's other rosters, the Rocket League team stands out, formed in collaboration with the synthetic motor oil brand Mobil 1. The team helped the club accumulate over 2 million hours of viewership, with their standout achievement being a 3rd-4th place finish at the Esports World Cup.

#3 — G2 Esports

The top three organizations begin with one of Europe’s esports giants, G2 Esports, whose viewership grew by over 60% this year. As in previous years, the organization’s standout teams were its League of Legends and Counter-Strike squads, both of which posted nearly identical live viewership numbers.

In the LEC, the team solidified its dominance, winning all three splits and securing first place at the Season Finals 2024, where they triumphed over Fnatic in the finals each time. On the international front, the team continued its strong performance, reaching the semifinals at both MSI and EWC. The only hiccup came at Worlds, where they fell short of the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Read also: Top 5 Most-Watched League of Legends Teams of 2024

In Counter-Strike, the team experienced a season full of ups and downs, with impressive showings followed by surprising setbacks. They also underwent several roster changes, which, as usual, didn’t help their consistency. Their best results came at BLAST Premier tournaments, where they took the title at the November World Final. They also came close to reaching the Major final twice, first stopped by NAVI in Copenhagen and later by FaZe Clan in Shanghai. 

A standout performance came from G2’s Valorant team, which cemented its status as one of the top contenders in the pan-American scene. After two second-place finishes in the regular seasons, the team also took third at VCT Masters Shanghai 2024 and advanced to the Valorant Champions playoffs, where they were knocked out by their major rivals, Fnatic.

G2 Esports had another memorable season, though it didn’t deliver any earth-shattering victories. A major highlight, however, was the stellar performance of Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, the sniper for the CS squad, who is a strong contender for Player of the Year in the game.

#2 — Team Liquid

Team Liquid, a staple in our annual rankings, took second place this time around, boosting their result from last year by over 70%. The organization made a notable impact across multiple titles, with eight of its rosters amassing more than a million hours of watch time in 2024. The most significant successes came in two MOBAs, Dota 2 and MLBB, with the latter marking a new chapter for the organization this year.

Team Liquid's foray into MLBB began with the acquisition of AURA Esports and ECHO, both previously owned by STUN.GG, and this move immediately paid off. Both the Philippine and Indonesian rosters found success, particularly in domestic leagues. Team Liquid PH claimed the MPL Philippines Season 13 title and made it to the semifinals of the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Team Liquid ID triumphed in MPL Indonesia Season 14 and finished as runners-up at the M6 World Championship.

Despite Falcons' overwhelming dominance, Team Liquid's Dota 2 roster had an exceptional season. Though the team didn't stand out at regular events, they displayed their true strength at two of the year's most prestigious tournaments: the Riyadh Masters and The International. After being stopped by Gaimin Gladiators in the Riyadh Masters final, Liquid had their revenge at The International, securing the organization's second "Aegis" trophy.

On top of that, Liquid's performance in League of Legends was a standout. For the first time since 2019 (excluding preseason tournaments like Lock-In), the team claimed the regular LCS split title and made appearances at all international competitions, with their best result being a 3rd-4th place finish at the EWC.

#1 — T1

For the third year in a row, T1, the Korean powerhouse, has claimed the title of the most popular esports organization in the world. With a remarkable 48% growth in viewership, T1 became the first organization ever to exceed 200 million hours of watch time in a single year.

The most significant portion of the club's viewership came from its most valuable asset: the League of Legends team. While the squad eventually triumphed at the Esports World Cup and, more importantly, at Worlds, these victories weren't easily earned. They faced major challenges on their home soil and were even on the verge of missing the year's biggest event during the summer. Thankfully for the organization and its fans, it all worked out in the end.

Interestingly, the challenging and extended summer split of LCK helped the team accumulate additional viewership hours. With the maximum number of matches played, they ended up enjoying solid viewership numbers during their crucial matchups.

The pinnacle of the year for the team was, without a doubt, Worlds, which set new viewership records across esports. Faker’s journey to his fifth World Championship was anything but easy, culminating in a high-stakes final that ended with a nail-biting 3-2 scoreline, sealing his legacy as the greatest to ever touch the game.

Alongside League of Legends, T1 accumulated nearly 15 million hours of watch time in Valorant. While the season was a bit up-and-down, their standout moments came early on, finishing third in the regular season of the Pacific League and earning a spot in the Shanghai Masters. They also rounded out the year with solid showings in off-season tournaments, including a victory at the Red Bull Home Ground event.

Top 10 Most-Watched Esports Organizations 2024